


Pretty soon now you're gonna get older

by sabrina



Category: Star Wars Legends - All Media Types, Star Wars Legends: New Republic Era - All Media Types
Genre: Gen, Solo sibling fluff
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-12-14
Updated: 2016-12-14
Packaged: 2018-09-08 10:09:44
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,082
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8840506
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sabrina/pseuds/sabrina
Summary: A day in Jaina Solo's celebration of the festival of life (set between the end of YJK series and Vector Prime).





	

**Author's Note:**

> Title is from the David Bowie song 'Changes'.

“What do you think it would be like to spend the Festival of Life in the same place every year?”

Anakin's voice pulled Jaina's gaze away from the cityscape of Naboo's capital city. He'd flown in with their father just the previous night. She raised an eyebrow at him: “You mean like normal citizens of the galaxy?"

“I guess.” Anakin stepped up to the balcony.

For a moment Jaina wondered what he was thinking. It was a pretty typical wondering when it came to her younger brother. He was usually quiet, not likely to speak, and way more likely to just rush in and act so that you were shown what he was thinking sometimes way after when you could explain to him that it wasn’t the best idea. At least with this question it didn't seem like he could get into too much trouble from here. 

“This is a lot more exciting,” she pointed out, punching his shoulder. “You’d be bored in one place.”

“Would he?” Jacen joined them without really glancing at either of them. Instead he stepped forward and leaned his elbows down on the balcony. “I mean, think about it. We’re used to never being at home during the Festival. If we were used to being at home, that’d feel right and this would feel off. And maybe this feels off anyway.”

Jaina stared at her twin and frowned. “What is it with you two? You're both super dour for the Festival of Life celebration. Am I going to have to give you your presents early? We haven't been to Naboo since we were much younger. And they say the parades aren’t like any anywhere else in the galaxy.”

“I didn’t say I _wasn’t_ excited,” Anakin shrugged. “Just we’re never home really and I was only wondering what that would be like.”

“On the other hand, can we really say we’re never home?” Jacen turned his head towards both of them. 

Jaina found herself thinking of the _Falcon_ and of their parents and she knew instinctively it was what Jacen was thinking of too. “We’re home when the family is together, wherever the family is together. That’s always been true. The _Falcon_ is home, really.”

Jacen gave Jaina a crooked grin and turned around, elbows still on the railing but now it was behind him as he looked up at the villa they’d been assigned for the festivities. Even if Leia Organa Solo was no longer Chief of State, she still carried the responsibility of being a face of the New Republic across the galaxy and attending ceremonies that the current Chief of State was unable to attend. It was a way to send the good-will of the New Republic to more systems, and it felt like something that was as important as it ever had been. The New Republic might have seen nearly two decades of government, but many of those decades had been turbulent and only recently had they found peace with the Imperial Remnant. Jaina knew her mother still worried about the health of the Republic, and the resources of a fairly stable local government like Naboo could help to stabilize the more tempestuous forces throughout the galaxy. 

As a nod of respect they’d been provided rooms at one of the queen’s palaces. Although not nearly as grand as the main palace it was still impressive, even to the Solo kids who were used to the grandness of government buildings on Coruscant. There was elegance that the deeply urban roots of the Coruscant buildings couldn’t pull off. It was the elegance of centuries of respect for the throne and government. Perhaps in another set of centuries after the Empire the New Republic buildings would hold that same elegance.

“What happens if we’re not all together?”

Anakin's question dropped like an ice cube against her skin. 

“We’re always together in the Force,” Jacen’s response was quick and certain.

“That’s a cop out,” Anakin made a face at Jacen.

“Is it? It’s still true.”

“Yeah, but it’s just a platitude, the Force is always around us, we’re all the Force, there is no death no life, blah blah.”

“That’s not what I’m saying. I’m just saying that if I were on Coruscant, I’d still be able to reach out and feel Jaina, and know she was fine here. It’s that sort of thing.”

“Yeah, but you guys have a twin bond, and I don’t,” there was the dangerous edge of a beginning pout from her younger brother, and Jaina reached over and knocked his elbow in an attempt to unbalance it.

“That’s because we don’t need a twin bond when the younger sibling bond can annoy us from anywhere.”

She could hear Jacen snicker despite himself, and Anakin couldn’t quite keep a smile off his face even as he rolled his eyes and looked away.

“You guys are just away all the time now being important Jedi and – ”

“You’ll be right there with us soon enough,” Jacen interrupted.

“He’s right,” Jaina smiled. “You’ll be ready to have one-on-one training with a master soon enough, and then you’ll miss the Academy and the friends you have there.”

“I guess,” Anakin didn’t seem entirely convinced, but whatever slightly morbid mood had absorbed him seemed to have past.

“I _know_ ,” Jacen corrected.

Anakin rolled his eyes. “You don’t know everything.”

“No, I know that, but I also know this. You’re going to be a pretty great Jedi, little brother.”

Anakin humphed slightly, but he pushed back from the railing. “You guys want some of that juice? I’ll have them bring some up from the kitchens?”

“Yeah, okay,” Jacen answered for both of them. 

As Anakin left and the silence fell around the twins, Jaina could feel her brother’s uncertainty reaching up to fill the space that Anakin’s sudden bout of uncertainty had left vacant.

“Hey?”

Jacen looked over, understanding the question without further clarification. “I know; he’s just got me thinking. Like, we’re all going to grow up. Uncle Luke isn’t always in the same place that mom is. What if this is the last Festival of Life we’re all together?”

“Like you said, we’re all together in the Force even when we’re apart.”

“Yeah, but…”

“So it’s a good enough answer for your little brother, but not a good enough answer for you?”

Jacen was shamed silent and Jaina sighed internally. She hadn't intended hurt his feelings, and the twin bond meant she knew when she had. She gave him space for a moment as she could hear Anakin using the comm to call for juice from the inside of the doors.

“Do you think Mom and Uncle Luke are any less close because they aren’t always celebrating fete weeks together?”

“No,” Jacen admitted. “Anakin’s right though. It’ll be different.”

“Change is pretty much the only certain thing,” Jaina pointed out. “Even you’ve changed this year. You’re making fewer bad jokes, for starter. “

“My jokes are excellent,” Jacen protested.

Jaina chuckled at the indignation and shook her head. They were terrible jokes, but she’d also noticed the cessation of them and while she wasn’t one to spend too much time on nostalgia, she couldn’t help but feel as if it wasn’t one sign among many that heralded the end of her childhood.

“We’ve not changed yet. I suggest we enjoy the festivities, and being all together while it lasts,” she punched his shoulders. “But I’m okay with fewer jokes.”

Jacen rolled his eyes as Anakin came back through the door with two cups of juice and Threepio shuffling along behind him with a third.

“We should go to the market in the morning,” Anakin suggested.

“Why?” Jacen asked, as he took the cup from Threeipo with a thanks and a nod of acknowledgement.

“Cause they’ve got shows in the bazaar,” Anakin grinned. “Traditional shows with fighting and drama.”

“That’s not at the same time as the flight show is it?” Jaina took a sip of the juice allowing the sweetness to rest on her tongue before she swallowed it.

“I want to go to the library at the University before we go,” Jacen added.

“What’s at the library?” Anakin made a face. “They aren’t doing any special programs there are they?”

“There’s said to be a whole section of holos dedicated to the Force and the Jedi and their history in the Naboo sector. It was rediscovered a couple of years ago,” Jacen shrugged. “Apparently it was in a private collection that managed to escape the purge.”

“Holos? Really? That’s boring Jacen.”

“As long as I get to see the flight show I’m down with anything,” Jaina interjected between her brother’s arguments leaving the two of them to go back inside to see if she could find something to watch right now. 

As it turned out they hit the flight show. Jaina had pulled them both out of bed the next morning and encouraged - which hadn't taken a lot - Anakin and sort of poked at Jacen so they could attend together. There was nothing she could imagine that seemed like it was more enjoyable than being up in the air like that and Jaina sometimes regretted that being a fancy pilot wasn't really something that Jedi usually got to do. She supposed her Uncle Luke had, but it had been a different time. In non-war times, outside of the enjoyment of the open space, something like being a pilot in Rogue Squadron - it didn't exactly _feel_ like something a Jedi should devote their time and energy to even if she might want it. 

That didn't mean she couldn't enjoy the sleek Naboo style fighters flying low enough into the atmosphere that they could be seen and easily enjoyed by the crowds gathered on the shores of the massive lake. 

It had been close to a decade since they'd spent any time on Naboo. So while the thrill of the flight show had ended all too soon in her opinion, there was something enjoyable about turning towards the market with her brothers. Their parents had warned them to take one of the Noghri, and to stay together, but neither instruction seemed likely to put a damper on their wandering. 

"I think they said the shows and drama were in the center section," Anakin offered, looking at his datapad to try to pull up the local list of festivities. 

"You've got a one track mind," Jacen teased. "We can take out time and end up there later in the day." 

"There aren't shows all day," Anakin frowned. "Just at certain times, and there was one with melee weapons I really wanted to see." 

Jacen rolled his eyes, getting distracted by a booth with a wide spread of local fruit including some of the local wines. "I'm getting some of the fruit you guys." 

"I want to try to figure out where the shows are," Anakin whined. 

Jaina shrugged. "You can go on then, just not too far ahead or you'll make Cakhmaim crazy."

"Stay in sight at least," Jacen worried. 

"I will," Anakin gifted them both with a cheeky grin before he dashed off into the market place. 

"Did I not just say 'stay in sight'?" Jacen wondered aloud. 

"Just get your fruit," Jaina laughed. "And get me some too. And maybe one for our baby brother who can't slow down long enough to enjoy anything." 

Jacen sighed. "I don't understand why he rushes into everything. He's going to get himself in trouble."

"He's thirteen?" Jaina offered. "I seem to remember several moments of you rushing into lots of things when you were that age." 

"I guess," Jacen sighed. "Why don't you get some of those pastries, and I'll meet you when I'm done and we'll go find Anakin."

Jaina couldn't find any reason to argue with this idea as the smell of the pastries was delightful, and seemed like the perfect counter to the freshness of the fruit Jacen was purchasing. She picked out a half dozen, getting two of one she knew she wanted to try so there'd be one other for one of the boys to choose if they wanted, but the others were all unique. She handed over the credit chip to pay for it before glancing around to find her twin's dark head again. He was catching up in height to her, and it really wasn't fair. 

She reached in the bag and grabbed a small piece off of one of the treats and let the butter light pastry flakes melt in her mouth. It may have been a bazaar booth, but it was quality food regardless. 

"Do you see him?" Jacen worried as he approached with his own bag. 

"Nope, but I can feel him," Jaina said. "And he's fine, so you can stop worrying; and I can see Cakhmaim's head - see," she pointed to the leathery grey skin of the noghri. It was difficult for him to blend into this crowd easily. "We should find something to drink when we catch up with him." 

"I think he found one of the shows," Jacen frowned as he considered. "It looks like there's a group of people up past Cakhmaim." 

"Could be," Jaina nodded. "Let's go see if we can distract him from theatrics with food." 

Anakin had found one of the shows taking place in what was ordinarily an open market circle, but was currently populated by a group of actors in costumes with a few basic props. The actors included humans and gungans, and currently seemed to be providing a history lesson in gungan human population interactions with a heavy dose of sentimentality and optimism that was geared towards those who enjoyed the Festival of Life. Jaina handed over the bag to her brothers, taking out her own choice and nibbling on it as they watched. 

Anakin was easily more interested than either of his siblings, and it was Jacen who finally broke the silence by nudging Jaina with his elbow. 

"Have you heard from Tenel Ka recently?" 

Jaina glanced over at him. "No, I mean, haven't you?" 

"No, she'd talked about the possibility of having us to Hapes for the Festival, but…" 

"You'd have liked that," Jaina couldn't help the smirk in her brother's direction, nor the amusement at the flush on his cheeks. 

"You would have too," Jacen pushed back. "Obviously. She's your best friend." 

Jaina laughed as she finished off the pastry and licked her fingers. "Yeah, I mean, I love Hapes, but I think you might have enjoyed having her around even more." 

"Will you guys stop?" Anakin hissed at both of them. 

"Sorry," Jaina mouthed more than really said in the direction of her younger brother. "There's a bench over there. We'll be waiting," she poked him, nodding in the direction of the bench which had just been vacated by a young family. Anakin didn't look at her as he nodded, and she pulled Jacen's elbow and headed towards it. 

"You know I think she likes you a little," Jaina offered, as they sat down just enough removed from the crowds to be able to talk together. 

"I mean, I know we're friends," Jacen said, reaching for a second pastry. "But she's also Tenel Ka; but also I kinda thought… I don't know." 

Jaina dug into the bag and pulled out an orange fruit that looked like it was probably she could just bite into it even though she didn't recognize it at all. 

"Tenel Ka's never going to be supremely forthright with her emotions. That's not how Hapan culture works, and you know it," she pointed out. "But she respects you as an equal, and you two have a friendship. And I'm glad we're here, because I've never explored any part of Naboo before, but I feel like she didn't extend the invitation because it didn't make sense to do so, not because she didn't want us there." 

It seemed simple, but Jaina was somewhat sympathetic considering that relationships of any type felt fraught with uncertainty, and she didn't have any interest in the heirs to any thrones in any system. Currently anyway. She supposed that she could meet someone, but it wouldn't be here on Naboo considering the throne wasn't inherited, and was also usually young women,. 

The fruit was tart, the skin slightly bitter, and Jaina chewed it up while trying to maximize the juice from the internal fruity part that was much sweeter and pleasant on her tongue. She could see her younger brother's head between the crowds as he watched the shows, and the warmth of the planet's sun on her face was enough to make her almost sleepy. 

"Someday maybe Anakin and I will be coming to visit you every year on Hapes," she teased, turning her face to her brother. Jacen's cheeks turned pink and she was pretty certain it wasn't just from the sun. 

"That's ridiculous." 

"Yeah, but it'd keep us all together during the festival wouldn't it?" she grinned. 

"That's a long ways in the future," Jacen deferred, but she could almost feel his thoughts turning in his head and the idea of the family meeting on Hapes, spending the festivals there among the lake country, or in the palaces.

And even if Jaina wasn't harboring an insane crush on the Hapan Princess turned Jedi, she had to admit that it was a more enjoyable proposal than the one they'd tossed around last night, where the days of them spending these sorts of festivals together as a family were basically over, and they'd never do it again once they grew up and moved into their grown-up lives as their mother and their Uncle had. 

"I figured out where the melee show is!" 

Anakin had pressed his way out of the crowds and was once again joining them, with their Noghri bodyguard sliding along behind him. Jaina finished the fruit and looked in the bags to see if there was a napkin. There wasn't. With a grimace she licked her fingers and then wiped them on her trousers instead. 

"When is it?" Jacen queried. "Cause I still want to make the library sometime today."

"It's not for another couple of hours," Anakin said. "We can explore some more." 

"That's hardly enough time for the library." 

"You could go after?" 

"For a few hours before we have to meet Mom and Dad at dinner?" 

"Well, we could go now and come back…" 

Jacen just looked at Anakin.

Jaina sighed. "I'm going to knock your heads together, both of you. You can't do the library tomorrow Jacen?"

"There's diplomatic stuff with Mom most of tomorrow, and the large dinner in the night and probably family stuff. I won't have time," Jacen shook his head. 

"How much time do you need at a library anyway?" Anakin breathed out aggressively. 

" _Enough_ ," Jacen wasn't about to budge. "It takes time to go through and find things, and more time to actually engage with them. I want an afternoon." 

"I'm not spending an afternoon at the library!" 

"We told mom we were staying together!"

"Mom just wants us to be safe," Jaina interrupted both of them. They both had the Skywalker stubbornness along with the Solo stubbornness and this wasn't going anywhere unless they could find a compromise. "Cakhmaim can go with you, Jacen. The library will be pretty safe, but then you've got someone with you. And Anakin and I will stick around the bazaar for another couple of hours, see the show, and then we'll come and join you in the library. And we'll be sticking together. We'll none of us be alone, which means we will be staying together, sort of, from a certain point of view." 

"I'm not certain I want to leave you guys without Cakhmaim," Jacen frowned slightly. "What if something happens?"

"It won't, but if it does we're both Jedi," Jaina grinned. "We'll figure it out, won't we Anakin?" 

"Yep," Anakin grinned at his brother. "You worry too much." 

"I just don't want anything to happen to you," Jacen huffed, but he stood up. "You want the last bit of fruit?" 

Anakin's eyes brightened and he reached for the bag with enthusiasm. 

Wandering through the market with her younger brother was different from wandering with Jacen, who tended towards good natured, but analytical about things. Anakin was ready to try everything, even if later he was likely to come up with some sort of thoughtful zinger as he had done last night. But it was fun. Anakin didn't worry, to counter Jacen's tendency to worry overly, and they both had tried rather too much local food by the time they took front row seats for the traditional melee weapons demonstration. 

The demonstration went back to history of thousands of years, much of it traditional to long before current Naboo culture, and Jaina found both the demonstration and the education about the demonstration to be entertaining. As she watched people go through drills she couldn't help but think about ways she might integrate some of those moves into her own Lightsaber knowledge, and she was pretty certain that Anakin was doing the same. Afterward they got hot beverages and dissolved into the crowds that were beginning to disperse away from the shopping and booths and moving into the rest of their Festival of Life activities. 

"Do you think we have to do the political stuff tomorrow?" Anakin's hands wrapped around the beverage as they took the streets to the giant library where Jacen would be waiting for them. 

"If you mean the meeting everyone and the dinner stuff, I'm guessing Mom isn't going to let us out of it. I mean, it's not my preferred cup of caf either, but some of it is kind of interesting. We'll probably have to do some of that sort of thing as Jedi, so it's nice to get to look at it and watch someone that's been doing it for as long as Mom has, to get ideas." 

Anakin raised his eyebrows and shrugged. "It's just _so_ boring. And there are so many people." 

Jaina grinned, mirroring his sip with one of her own. "You'll get no argument from me on the boring parts, although hey, it _is_ a chance to meet new people and that's not all bad." 

"Not 'all bad' doesn't make it good either," Anakin sighed. "They always expect me to have important things to say and I really don't have anything to say." 

Jaina hadn't really ever thought about whether or not what she said was important even particularly impressive. And even if she had, she wasn't certain it would stop her from speaking. In that way, she suspected she was wholly unimpressive as a diplomatic Jedi, but maybe she'd learn something from her Aunt who she was going to be shadowing shortly. Aunt Mara seemed to speak her mind, but it was also tempered a bit. 

"You don't need to have anything to say right now," Jaina suggested. "That's not the point of these things, not really. The point is to be a part of the galaxy as a whole, to get to know the people here, to show them that people like the Jedi, like former Chief of State's like mom, all care enough about them to be here when we're celebrating holidays." 

"Someday though, I will have to, right?" Anakin looked over at her. "If I'm a Jedi, a Jedi like Uncle Luke or Aunt Mara someday I'll have to do more than just show up. I'll have to say the right things. I'll have to not offend people or make them think the Jedi _don't_ care when they do." 

"But that's not today, or tomorrow, or even next year," Jaina bumped his shoulder with her fist. "You've still got plenty of training left to do before you're going to have to do any of that. Just ask people questions. You'll learn about them and then you don't have to talk. But when you do have to do it? You're going to do it marvelously. You'll probably put Jacen and I to shame." 

Anakin half snorted half laughed. "That seems unlikely." But his shoulders were a little straighter than they'd been a moment before. 

"I had fun hanging out with you," Jaina told him. "You still think we should always spend the Festival of Life in one place? You wouldn't have gotten to see nearly all the stuff you did today if we were always home on Coruscant or whatever." 

Anakin smiled, and shook his head. "It was good. It's not that I really want to always be in one place. More," he wrinkled up his nose to try to put words to his thoughts. "I think I'm just wondering what happens when you and Jacen are both off working with Aunt Mara and Uncle Luke." 

"I get that," Jaina nodded. "But maybe if we're always different places in the galaxy that's an even better reason to always be together for these sorts of holidays." 

Anakin took a sip and was quiet, turning thoughtful after all of his enthusiasm earlier in the day. They walked the rest of the distance in silence, before reaching the classical age building of the library. They started up the flights of steps in the front, at least twenty of them it leading up to a large front portico supported by columns that likely Anakin and Jaina would have needed the addition of Jacen to circle with their arms. 

"I had fun too," he said as they reached the front door. 

"Yeah?" Jaina grinned. 

Anakin nodded. "I think Jacen missed out." 

Jaina's eyebrows raised, her grin widening, and she leaned in to whisper as she pulled open the door. "I do too. But somehow I suspect Jacen won't think he's missed anything." 

She was right about this. They found Jacen and Cakhmaim in a study room off of the main reading room. He was engrossed in a talk from a holoviewer and Jaina and Anakin snuck in, catching his eye only for a moment before he turned back to it. 

It was interesting, kind of. 

Jaina listened for a while, and even Anakin seemed to be interested enough, although he was the first to suggest it was time to head back for dinner. The three of them returned the holo to the archivist and then headed out into the night Cakhmaim following behind them and then ordering a speeder to come and pick them up so they could get back before it was dark. 

Dinner tonight was just family, despite all of the morning's festivities and political commitments. It was Chewie and Dad and Mom and Threepio in the background while her brothers fought over which of them was going to tell their story of the afternoon first. And when Anakin headed off with Chewie and their Dad to check on something in the Falcon and Jacen headed to his room to explore one of the datapads he'd been able to check out, Jaina was left alone with her mother and the remaining bit of dessert on the plate. 

Her mother looked at her and then leaned forward cutting the final piece in two and sliding half of it onto her own plate and then she looked at Jaina with a question mark in her gaze. 

"Yes," Jaina grinned, sliding her own plate forward. 

"Did you get to do anything you wanted to do?" Leia asked. "Jacen had enough to say about his day."

"Yeah," Jaina put a piece of it on her fork, turning it around before putting it in her mouth. "We got to the flight show early in the morning and then we did all the other stuff. So we all had something we wanted to do and we all got it done I think. More or less anyway." 

"That's good," Leia smiled. She ate a few more bites in silence before putting her utensil down and leaning forward slightly. "I know you might prefer to spend the morning with your father tomorrow," she started. "But I'm going to be learning some of the history of Naboo's Queens tomorrow. I've heard some of it, my Father taught me some of it on Alderaan growing up. The way they did their monarchy was very different from Alderaans and I think he liked the contrast of it. But if you'd like to come with me - it's fascinating to me what these young women have been able to accomplish through the decades." 

Jaina considered this. Politics wasn't her. She had thought before, and promptly felt guilty for doing so, that it was sort of nice that she didn't have to be the 'Princess of Alderaan' at all. It wasn't so much that she wished Alderaan destroyed or anything like that - she couldn't wish that, not knowing how much pain that destruction had caused her mother. But she couldn't exactly be sorry that the 'princess' title was no longer relevant to her. And becoming friends with Tenel Ka had only increased that gratitude in all manner of speaking. She knew that Tenel Ka recognized she had a responsibility, or a potential responsibility, and she knew that it was an extra thing to navigate. Jaina disliked navigating this sort of responsibility even without the royalty factor. 

All that said, Jaina also knew many of the queens on Naboo were her age and some were even younger. It was certainly a lot of responsibility for anyone, and she knew she hardly felt wise enough to be a Jedi Apprentice, much less to be the symbolic leader of an entire planet. She finished off the dessert and nodded. "You know, I think I would like to come with you. Are Jacen and Anakin?"

"If you'd like me to invite them I can, but I'd thought it might be fun for just the two of us to do." 

Her mom looked hopeful, and Jaina couldn't remember the last time they'd had a significant conversation without some sort of misunderstanding or coming at odds with each other. But this shouldn't do that, right? It should be safe for non-conflict. "We can make it a mother-daughter date," she shrugged. 

"Excellent," her mother smiled briefly before she finished off the rest of her dessert. "We should get an early bed then, because they want us to meet quite early in the morning. Will that work for you?"

"Yeah, I did an early morning today because of the flight stuff, and we frequently did early mornings at the Praxeum," Jaina pushed away the now empty dessert plate. "I'll meet you in the living room in the morning?" 

"I'll look forward to it," Leia put her napkin down on the table and then pushed the chair back and Jaina followed suit. Her mother was signalling the end of the conversation, and the end of the dinner, but Jaina realized she still had a question. 

"Will we still do this when we're all grown-up?" 

Leia turned to look at Jaina, her dark eyes curious for a moment before she nodded slowly. "You mean dinners?" 

"I mean, the family Festival of Life week? Like when I'm a full Jedi, or whatever. Will we still all meet for the Festival of Life? Or will be spread everywhere?" 

"I suppose it will depend on us," her mother tilted her head. "But you, and your brothers will always be welcome to celebrate the Festival of Life with your Father and I for as long as you want to and any time that you can." 

"I mean, combining galactic diplomacy with life is kind of a Solo family tradition, isn't it?" 

Leia laughed. "That it is." 

Jaina found herself on the balcony again that night. 

The bright lights of Naboo were a little less anonymous than they'd been the night before now that she'd spent a day wandering the city. Jaina had discovered that visiting places and setting your feet on the ground meant that you carried a bit of that place with you wherever you went. It meant that when you heard news that involved a particular planet that you tended to identify with it a little more, want a little better for the citizens and residents of the system, and care a little more strongly about the galaxy. 

And if it came right down to it Jaina realized she had no desire to spend the Festival of Life in one place, and probably, if it came down to her siblings, they wouldn't want to do it either. Her reason was perhaps a very Jedi one: the galaxy was _life_. The Force could be felt everywhere, and life could be felt everywhere, and celebrating the festival in different systems every year - even if it was always together as a family - felt like the only honest way to celebrate a festival named after something so universal to everything that mattered in the galaxy. 

"Jaina?" 

She turned around to find Anakin there once again. "You have more impossible questions for me tonight?" 

"No," Anakin laughed lightly, but took the question as an invitation to come out to join her. 

"I got you something today." 

"Oh yeah?" Jaina turned to her younger brother. Sometimes she could almost see the grown-up Jedi he was likely to become, and it was weird. No matter how grown-up she might feel herself, it was weird to see that sort of grown-up adultness in her siblings. 

"Yeah," he held out a box to her. 

"Should I open it now?" 

"Yeah," Anakin shrugged. "I've got something else for the main family opening." 

"You got me two things?" Jaina grinned. "What did I do to earn the extra special sister award?" 

"Don't think it's some sort of statement of perfection. And it's not that big anyway. Just, open it," he seemed slightly embarrassed and impatient for her to move on.

Jaina pulled open the paper wrapping and peeked inside what was a pretty small box. Inside sat a pin, not much larger than her finger, what appeared to be a small replica of the royal sword they'd watched being demonstrated during the melee performance earlier in the day. Some amethyst gems were set in what would be the hilt, and they perfectly matched her lightsaber crystal.

"When did you get this?" She looked up at him. "I mean, it's great, but I didn't see you buy anything." 

"What makes you think I bought it today?" Anakin shrugged in a motion that reminded her so much of her father that it was momentarily startling. 

"You had to buy it today, it's - I mean - it's what we saw." 

"Yeah, okay, I bought it today. While you were getting us drinks. I saw it, and I couldn't resist. Thanks for staying with me this afternoon." 

Jaina pulled the pin out, wondering if she could attach it to her tunic tomorrow without it being too out of place on what were otherwise pretty basic Jedi robes. She could attach it to the fancy dress she'd need to wear for the later political dinner. It would be a bright side of dressing up she supposed. 

"Yeah, no problem little brother. We did tell mother we were going to stay together. Thanks." 

She stepped forward to wrap her arms around him, and dang, he was getting taller too, although thankfully not so much as Jacen. He was stil her _little_ brother for however much longer it would last. 

"You don't want anything more do you?" she pulled back and eyed him with bemused suspicion. 

Anakin snorted. "I'm not a Sith, I'm not manipulating you into anything with fancy gifts and I don't even think that's how the Dark Side works." 

"Mom said you were going with Dad in the morning?" 

"Yeah, you coming?" 

"No, I think Mom wants company, but I'll catch up with you after." 

"Cool."

"Anakin?" 

He looked over at her and Jaina punched his arm. "Let's try to keep the Festival of Life together, you know? It's a good idea, always having the three of us and Mom and Dad in one place at least one time a year, wherever it is." 

Anakin nodded. "Works for me. I mean, when I'm a Jedi it ought to be easy to make it work, right?" 

Jaina laughed at his certainty. She was pretty certain easy wasn't what being a Jedi was about, but it sounded nice and even if it wasn't easy she was pretty certain it was worth fighting to keep.


End file.
